False Flower Coral

About

False Flower Coral (Anacropora spinosa) is a small-polyp stony coral from the shallow reefs of the Indo-West Pacific, typically found between about 5 and 15 meters depth across a broad range stretching from the eastern Indian Ocean into the Pacific. In the wild it grows in compact, twisted branch formations, each branch no thicker than a finger and tapering to a sharp tip. The corallites are elongated and packed closely together in an irregular arrangement, and distinctive spines project below each corallite, giving the colony a rough, bristled texture that sets it apart from more familiar branching SPS corals. Coloration is generally a pale to mid brown, occasionally with white tips on the branches. In the aquarium this is strictly an advanced-keeper species. It demands intense lighting and strong, consistent water movement to replicate the high-energy reef zones it calls home, and like most members of the Anacropora genus it is sensitive to the kind of water-quality fluctuations that more forgiving SPS corals might shrug off. Placement high in the tank where light and flow are greatest is the usual approach. It is reef safe and poses no threat to neighboring corals through sweeper tentacles, though competition for space and light should still be managed carefully.